I walked along Berlin East Side Gallery on a gray, windy, and cold day of March, huddled up in my jacket while silently looking at the wall paintings celebrating freedom after the Wall’s collapse, which started on November 9, 1989. A memorial for a sad past, a sign of hope for a future of freedom As …
Thriving Maboneng: One of the Coolest Areas in Jo’Burg
East of Johannesburg CBD, the thriving Maboneng Precinct – meaning ‘place of light‘ in the Sotho language – has become one of the most interesting areas of the city. In the Sotho language, Maboneng means ‘the place of light’. No other word could have been more appropriated Once a zone dominated by crime and decay, …
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An Afternoon Stroll in Bergamo Old Town: A Photo Tour
A mere 40 km from Milan, beautiful Bergamo is perfect for a day off Perched atop a hill, Bergamo Old Town is a little jewel of great charm Perched on the hill, the way towns were commonly built during the Middle Age for defensive purposes, the old city of Bergamo (in Italian called ‘Bergamo Alta‘) is a …
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Offbeat Italy: The Beautiful Roman Ruins of Sepino
I felt awe-struck by the unexpected beauty of the Roman ruins of Sepino When I moved the first steps in the archaeological area including the Roman ruins of Sepino, I felt as if I was looking at a secret treasure. That’s what I call the ‘Miracle of Italy‘, a country blessed with such historic and …
Berlin Holocaust Memorial. Winning my Brain, but not my Heart
Since I was a teen-ager I’ve been strongly sensitive to the horrors and the insanity of the Holocaust thus, during my recent trip to the German capital I couldn’t miss seeing the Berlin Holocaust Memorial. While walking among the stelae of the Berlin Holocaust Memorial I was surprised by my unexpected reaction: intellectual admiration, but no strong emotions. …
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Windy Wellington, Sorry… You Didn’t Win my Heart
Everyone I happened to meet in New Zealand liked Windy Wellington (as the capital city is cheerfully called because of the strong wind blowing more often than not), where they frequently spent several days when not even longer. The truth is that despite I went there three times (first at my arrival, then back from my tour …
Christchurch Botanic Gardens: A Photo Tour
I hadn’t planned to visit Christchurch and I happened to spend there an afternoon totally by chance. Since it was a last-minute decision, I didn’t know what to expect nor what to do and see in only a few hours. My hostel was right in the city centre, only a few steps from Christchurch Botanic …
Auckland, The City of Sails, Sea, Parks and Colors
What a surprise Auckland, and no wonders it’s called ‘the city of sails‘. Having been told that it was not particularly pretty I was expecting Auckland to be an unattractive city. On the contrary, I happened to have a great time in New Zealand‘s biggest city, liking it much more than Wellington (but there I …
Odegand, Exhilarating Opening of Ghent Festival of Flanders
When I was invited to attend Odegand and explore a bit of Flanders during Flanders is a Festival, I didn’t know what to expect. Honestly, I knew nothing about the Flanders Festival and even less about Odegand and Ghent Festival, but as soon as I started gathering a few information my curiosity arose. Indeed, I was stoked …
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